Russia cuts duty on Belarus oil exports

MOSCOW – Russia has reportedly agreed to slash the duty on oil exports to Belarus by 70 percent and Belarus will share with Moscow a substantial amount of profits from the refined oil products it sells to Europe.

Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov was quoted Friday by Russian news agencies as making the announcement after some 10 hours of tense talks in Moscow with his Belarusian counterpart, Sergei Sidorsky.

“In fact, we will for example earn $53 from every metric ton (of oil) exported to Belarus,” Fradkov was quoted as saying by Interfax. That is down from a duty of $180 per ton.

A Kremlin spokesman said he had no information on the talks; a top official with Russian state-controlled pipeline operator OAO Transneft also declined to comment.

AP